Quick action vise



March 17, 1953 w, W, SWA|N 2,631,483

QUICK ACTION VISE Filed June 26. 1952 Patented Mar. 17, 1953 :UNITE-DfsT-A'rs PATENT AOFFICE William W. Swain, Oakland, Calif..

l This invention relates to improvements in Work holding means andparticularly to a vise which is manually instantly adjustable to -theWork-by mere sliding of the movablejatv and which locks in position andgrips the work'through a relatively smalll angular movement of ahand'lever, and which isV instantly releasable through an oppositemovement of the lever.

This' invention concerns a vise which is free of threaded-- or rack typeadjusting mechanism with the movable jaw freely slidable to the Workwith sequential locking1 of the movable jaw in adjusted position "andgrippingof the work through a single movement of a hand lever, thusproviding a vise which is operable for gripping or releasei anabsolute'minimum of time.

The objects rand advantages ofthe invention are as follows: e Y `1 yFirst, to provide avise with a movable jaw which is" freely slidable tothe work, and which through a relatively small angular movement of ahand Vlever sequentially locks the movable jaw "adjusted position andefficiently lgripsthe WOk; y' I Y Y Second,- Vto provide a vise asoutlined which sequentiallyreleases the j-aW and frees the jaw on itssupport through an opposite slight rangular movement of the lever foradjustment of the movable jaw to a diierent position.

` Third, to provide a vise as outlined in which the `means for lockingthe movable jaw adjusted position-consists `of 'spaced tie rods whichform the supports for the movable jaw, and lateral plungers withintervening cam member for forcing the plungers against the adjacentsides of thetie rods with the tie rods thus locked in their bearings,and a lever for operating said cam.v

Fourth, to provideia vise as outlined in which said cam is mounted in ahousing and with the cam having cam surfaces formed in its side Afacesfor operating said plungers and having a -cam peripherally formed tocooperate with the movablevijaw for intense gripping and release of themovable jaw to and from the work.

I v1 Fifth, to provide a vise as outlined which is simple inconstruction, economical to manufacture, and which is relatively lightto handle.

Sixth, to provide a vise as outlined which has `four sides for parallelsupport on a surface with the work exposed for operation from either ofthe sides.

In describing the invention reference will be had to the accompanyingdraWings'inWhich;

Fig. 1-is a-.side'elevation ofthe invention. Y, --Fig. -2 iis -atop plan2vievvof.Fig.1. L

application June 26,1952,seriaiNo;295,647 f vsa claims. (c1. sir-1v) 2Fig. 3 is a sectionn taken on line 3--3 of Fig. V2. Fig. 4 is a section'taken onf'line 4-4 of F'g.'2'. Fig. 5 is a section takenon line 5 45ofFigfZ. Fig. 6 is a view taken in the direction 6 6 on 5 Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 represents an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, and showsplunger-engaging cam portions formed inopposite side surfaces ofajaw-advancing circular cam. l

YThe invention consists of a combinedhead plate and fixed jaw i0, a footplate II, tie rods 'I2 and I3 connecting the head plate and foot plate,a movable jaw I4 slidably supported on the tie rods, a combined lockingand thrust member 'I5 which is coupled to the movable jaw for slightrelative movement and also slidably supported o`n the tie rods. Y Y AThe combined head plate andA xedjaw Vis angle shaped having theupstanding jaw portion I6 and base portion I'I provided with a slot I8for bolting to a support. The tie rodshaveboth ends turned to a reduceddiameter as indicated at I9 to provide shoulders 2 with the reducedportions passing through passages provided in the head plate and footplate, the ends of these reduced portions being threaded for the nuts 2If, these head and foot plates being drawn tight against the shouldersto provide a rigid structure.

The fixed jaw is provided with tapped holes 22 and 23 for attachment ofjigs or xtures, and the inner face is recessed as indicated at Zfor jawfacing 25. i l The movable jaw I4 is a relatively plain portion Vofsteel provided in its inner face with a recess 26 for jaw facing 21, andhas passages 28 for the tie rods I2 and I3, on which the jaw isslidable. The back of this jaw has spaced tapped holes 29 -and 30 formotionflimiting screws 3I and 32.

The combined locking and thrust member I5 consists of a block of metalhaving passages 33 for the tie rods I2 and I3 on which the block isslidable, and is provided with a substantially vrectangular passage 34centrally in whichA a rmultiple cam 35 is pivoted as indicated at 36.This cam has cam surfaces 31 and 38 formed in its opposite faces, thesecams having a rise of only about 0.010 inch, and cooperate with the,locking plungers 39 and 40 which in turn are cooperative with the tierods which are preferably flatted on their innersuriaces as' indicatedIat 4I vand 42. This cam also has a peripheral cam surface 43, the riseof the cam in the direction of the side cams being only about 0.010 inchalso, sincenonly suflicient caml action is requiredv to ,envisageait@lampineafiiign @n the movabl? jaw. The ends of the plunger holes areplugged as indicated at 44 to prevent entry of dirt or dust to thebearing for the tie rods.

The screws 3| and 32 limit the relative movements between the movablejaw and the combined locking and thrust member, the holes 45 thereforein the combined locking and thrust member being counterbored for theheads of the screws as indicated as 46 with the counterbore ofsufficient depth to conceal' the head with the underside of the headfunctioning as a stop in cooperation with the bottom of the counterbore.A ball-end handle 4l is releasably fixed in the back of the cam, formanual operation.

The foot plate Il is recessed as indicated at 48 to provide upstandinglegs 49 and 50, andato .provide clearance for the handlewhen in itslower,- most position. The top surfaces of the Xed jaw I6 and of thelegs 49 and 50 or" the footfplatev l IA are parallel with the bottomsurfaces I and 52 of these respective/members and parallel with thetierod axes. The-sidesurfaces 53 and 55 of thexed jaw, and thesidesurfaces 54 and56- of the footvbracket are also'parallel with the axesof the tie rods, while the movable jaw and the combinedflocking andthrust-member are in clearingA relation on all sides with planes passingbetween the fixed jaw vand foot bracket, thus permitting the vise to berested on any one cfitsfour sides for operating on a clamped workpiecefrom anyl selected one of four directions. If desired, the'legson thefoot bracket maybe omitted, or `the movablev jaw outer surfaces may bemade coplanar with the fixed jaw and foot bracket.

This vise is, from the practical standpoint, sub i stantiallyinstantaneous in operation. With the work in place and the lever 4l in asubstantially 30 degreeangular position as indicated-in Fig. 1, themovable jaw. with its associated locking'and thrust member is merelypushed forward into contact, with the low face of the cam in contactwith thejaw,V and immediately on contact the lever is depressed to theposition shown in dotted lines at 4l. As the lever is moved downwardly,the side cams 3l and 38 firstforce the plungers'39 and 40 against the`hat surfaces on the tie rods which in turn 'are force-d against theopposite walls of their bearings, eihciently locking the member inplace. Further downward; movement causes the peripheral cam to force the,movable jaw. forward to grip the work with any desired pressure whichis controllediby the degree of movement of the lever, since duringoperation of the` peripheral cam, the plungers are riding on the idlingor plane surfaces of the cam at 51. Thus the action with downwardmovement of the leverY is as follows: Firstthe plungers are forced outtolock the locking mem.- ber in position, and the plungers ride over thetop of the rise on the cam surface justonto the plane-surface, and atthat pointtheperipheral cam comes into action on themovable jaw, withany further movement of the lever increasing the-grip'on the Work. Forrelease of the work, the leverl is merely raised to the position shownin Fig. l and pulled back.

claim:

1. A quick acting vise comprising, a frame including a fixed jaw and afoot bracket and tie rods' rigidly connecting saidfixed" jaw and footbracket, a movable jaw slidable on said tie rods, a combined locking andthrust' member slidable on said tie rods and coupled to lsaid movablejaw for` limited` movement, a cammounted in said combined lockingV andthrust memberl and having side cam faces and a peripheral cam face, withthe peripheral cam face cooperative with the back of the movable jaw,plungers slidably operative in bores communicating between said side camfaces and said tie rods for locking said combined locking and thrustmember in position. and a lever for operating said cam.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1; said peripheral cam face beinglocated in follow relationV to the side camxfaces for operation insequence with operation ofthe lever for clamping work in the vise.

3. A structure as dened in claim 1; the adjacent sides of the tie rodsbeing flatted for increased surface cooperation with said plungers, andsaidside:cam faces being limited to a rise of 0.010 inch, .and with theperipheral cam surface initiating operation on the movable jaw withcooperation of the plungers with the flat parallel faces of the camafter passing over the rise, for sequentially locking the. locking, andthrust.Y member in position and increasing4 the grip on the work in thevise.

4. Locking means for releasably locking a member on spaced tie rods,said member having bearings slidable onsaid tie rods, said member havinga passage parallel with -said tieA rods, a cam rotatably mounted in saidpassage and having an operating lever, side cam surfaces formedintheeside faces of saidcamandin opposition, plungers` slidable inpassages provided in ,said member and cooperative between said side camsurfaces and said tie-rods,- for forcing said plungers against said tierods with the. plungers in turn forcing the tierods against the oppositesides of the bearings;,to. lock the memberV in its adjuste-dposition onthe tierods.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4; said cam having a peripheral camsurface,l a second member slidable on said'tie'rods and havingVconnection with said member for limitedV relative` reciprocal movementvand cooperative with said peripheral cam surface,l with saidcamYthrough limited degree of rotation sequentially lockinggsaid member inposition followed by-advance ofsaid second member through the mediumofsaidipe.- ripheral cam surface.y

6. A structure as defined in :claim 4; said cam having parallelfaceswith the side'y cam surfaces formed ,in one portionlon. opposite`sides and having ariseof: notte exceed 0.0l0inch and having a`perpheralcamr surface with a rise-of not to exceed 0.016 inch, amovablevise jaw slidablefon lsaid tie rods, and having; connection With saidmember for limitedrelative. movement, and with said cam, duringdepression of said lever, `initially forcing said plungers-.against saidtie rods to lock the member inl position through the 'medium` of saidside cam surfaces, andupon reaching4 the limit of rise, idlingon theparallel faces and Lco, incidently forcing,v said'V movable jawv forwardthrough the mediumof the peripheralr cam surface cooperating. with theback ofi said` jaw.

7. A cam. forl producing; lateral and frontal thrust comprising asubstantially circular disc having parallelfaces, a cam surface.formedin each side face of saidfdisc within amelatively narrovvy area,av peripheral cam surface formed on said disc, with rises in theperipheral cam surface in follow relation tothe rises in; the Yside camsurfaces, a member coopera-tive with the peripheral cam surface, andlaterally operative members cooperativewith theside. cam surfaces.

8. Ai quick actingviseA comprising, ar combined head bracketandixediljaw, .afoot bracket, spaced tie rods rigidly connecting saidhead and foot brackets, a movable jaw slidable on said tie rods andhaving bearings closely fitting said tie rods, a combination locking andthrust member slidable on said tie rods and having bearings closelytting said tie rods, a passage formed centrally through said locking andthrust member parallel with said tie rods, a cam rotatably mounted insaid passage, a cam surface formed in each of opposite sides of saidcam, a peripheral cam surface on said cam and cooperative with saidmovable jaw, connections between said movable jaw and said locking andthrust member for limiting relative movement therebetween, boresprovided laterally from said cam and extending between the cam and saidtie rods, plungers in said bores and cooperative between said side camsurfaces and said tie rods with the side cam surfaces forcing saidplungers against said tie rods and said tie rods against the oppositesides of Vthe bearings in the member for securing saidfmember inposition, with said peripheral cam surface in follow relation to saidside cam surfaces', whereby with a limited degree of rotation of saidcam said side cam surfaces initially force said plungers to lock saidmember in position followed by movement of said jaw through the mediumof said peripheral cam surface.

REFERENCES CTED The following references aref-'of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES TENTS Number Name c Date 947,888 Dix et al Feb. 1, 19102,538,314 Johansson Jan. 16, 1951 FOREIGN Number Country Date 635,514Great Britain i Apr. 12, 1950 OTHER REFER l Publication, AmericanMachinist, May 9, 194e,

page 143.

